Authors : P. J. Chaware, A. P. Bhat and K. G. Rewatkar
Page Nos : 196-199
Description :
At present the world is in great need of technologies providing renewable energy. The challenge is how to meet the increasing global energy consumption without sacrificing our future environment. More solar energy strikes the earth in one hour than all the energy consumed on the earth in a year [1]. All wind, fossil fuel, hydro and biomass energy have their origins in sunlight. Solar energy falls on the surface of the earth at a rate of 120 petawatts, (1 petawatt = 1015 watt). This means all the solar energy received from the sun in one day can satisfied the whole world’s demand for more than 20 years. Solar energy is clean and renewable. It doesn’t emit carbon dioxide during operation. Solar energy provides clean abundant energy and is therefore an excellent candidate for a future environmentally friendly energy source. Solar cells are devices that are able to convert solar energy into electrical energy. The aim of solar cell research is to increase the solar energy conversion efficiency at low cost to provide a cost-effective sustainable energy source.
